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Topic Review (Newest First)

10-21-2003 10:42 AM

Dble Haul

The pike fishing has definitely picked up on the river....this is from very reliable sources. Those fish are starting to become active again and fatten up for winter.

If I have the time, I'd be down for some pike fishing sometime before the snow flies. But that's if I can tear myself away from the coastal fishing.

Seriously, though....if there's interest, let's try to do it.

10-21-2003 09:20 AM

Adrian

I've bee holding off replying to this thread since the thought of a season coming to a close is hard

But yesterday on my drive up to Mass. I noticed two cars with a thin layer of SNOW on their roofs so I figure that with the <32F nightime temps. " the fat lady is getting ready.

Its been a lot of fun this year on the Housie (big smallies) and my newly dicovered local pond. I didn't get to taget Carp as planed - water levels seem to have been consistently high this year - too highy for decent sight fishing.

With the recent cool nights I'm wondering if there's a shot at the Pike on the Conn. river before the season finally ends - what do you think Mark?

10-20-2003 09:54 PM

Robert Burton

Well it was good
I got pike, drum, walleye, sauger, channel cats, goldeye and some nice smallies.

10-16-2003 10:02 PM

travbass2

Hey yall, another new guy.
My year was one of the best in a long time. Great for numbers and big fish. I fish the New river for smallies right now. Working on my goal for 20 fish at 20" or better for the year, I'm up to 17 so far and still have a couple months left. I may make 25 as the late fall and winter is some of the best times for big bites!
Got some nice muskies, to 25lbs and saw some huge ones while diving in the river to observe the smallmouth. I swear I saw one that was pushing 60. Our state record muskie and smallmouth come from the New weighing in at 45lbs and 8lbs 1oz respectively. There are alot bigger smallies in the river, I've hooked them and seen them. They are smart fish that demand a totally different approach than what little fish dictate.
I have a passion for big fish with a history in guiding in NC for big tarpon and drum. I fished bass tourneys for awhile and have a 13lb moster for my biggest green bass.
I'm headed down to NC to chase False Albecore with 8/9wts to make my year even better!! Looking forward to that agian. Been hitting them for several years now and love their speed.
Here's to a great winter season!!!!

10-14-2003 12:38 PM

timlambertsen

I have done quite a little research on the process and what it takes to be certified, I agree that it is a long and grueling process. I am interested in becomming certified in hopes of some day teaching lessons. I am active in a lot of recreational areas and do various programming for my area, and would like to get more people involved. But the real root of the issue is my burning desire to be a better caster so I can reach those fish that always seem to be 5 feet further then my fly.:hehe: I am a case manager for a middle school here in Des Moines (grew up in the Anamosa, Maquokata area) and have access to the gym in the mornings to work on my casting. The only downfall is regular maintance of line since the floor is so dirty. I quess I'll just have to do the best with what I can. Thanks for the advise - keep it comming!

10-14-2003 12:02 PM

FrenchCreek

Welcome Tim,
A few years back I had the opportunity to spend a lot of time in Iowa, just love it and still have many friends in the Makoqueta (sp?) area.
If you have not done so, loop up the certification requirements on the Federation of Fly Fishers web site and this may help in your decision.
Mark has correctly indicated some of the questions you need to deal with along the path to making your decision.
There is no doubt that taking instruction from a "certified" insructor will greatly help in your casting ability and that path may satisfy your need?

P.S. I have been "certified" by my wife for over 20 years but I still refuse to accept the official document for fear that it may incriminate me!

10-14-2003 11:29 AM

Dble Haul

Tim, welcome to the site....my wife is from Iowa, and I have never met an unkind person from that state. Must be something about the way of life over there.

To your question about becoming a certified casting instructor, I guess that there are a few questions you should ask yourself.

Why do want to become certified?
How practical will your certification be (that is, how much and in what way will you be able to apply it)?
What's your timeline for completing this?

And one question I have for you....are you aware of just how difficult this can be to accomplish? Depending on who's certifying you, it can take a great deal of experience, practice, commitment, and time to reach a certifiable level.

I'm not trying to discourage you, only trying to understand what your driving force is for setting out to do this.

I've been told that I'm certifiable, but I don't think it has anything to do with casting.

10-14-2003 10:57 AM

timlambertsen

WW flyfishing in IA

Hello everyone, I am new to this site - all of my is warmwater here in Iowa. I started flyfishing 2 years ago and have not gone a day without my wife shaking her head in amaizement of my obsession. Since we only have warm water here in Iowa I am working on continually searching for a go-to flie when fishing for bass.
I would have to say that the common grasshopper flie has done the best. As with fishing for trout, size does not always matter when tossing a terrestrial. Some of my largest bass have been caught on a #6 streamer hook grasshopper.
Smallies I have had luck with black wollybuggers.
Anyway - I look forward to learning a lot from everyone in the future, I already have one question.

Should I make the envestment of being a certified casting instructor?

Thanks for any input folks.

Tim Lambertsen

10-09-2003 09:50 PM

Dble Haul

Pete, thanks for the insightful reply. I think that I know why the flies are sinking quickly....although they have no weight, they are tied on salt water hooks for durability. I'm pretty sure that the rate of descent in the water column would be slowed with a lighter wire fresh water hook.

They worked here too, but I fish in the rivers and except for very early in the season the fish tend to hang out anywhere from 5 to 8 feet. So I really didn't encounter the problems you described.

Good info! Something to think about this winter while I tie...lighter freshwater hooks. Perhaps next year we can try them out together, either here or there. I had the same results with your crease flies that you did....plenty of interest, but no takers.

And to everyone else, it's nice to hear of the ins and outs of your warmwater seasons. We're not done yet, but it's time to start reflecting.

10-09-2003 08:02 PM

Quentin

Disappointing because I didn't get out fly fishing nearly as much as I would have liked. When I did get out I usually did pretty well, although I didn't really have any spectacular days but did have several poor days. One positive note is that I had great success with my frog fly. It's fun to fish and the bass and pike absolutely clobbered it. I've even caught a crappie, pickerel and bluegills on it. I'll be tying up several of those over the winter!

Q

10-09-2003 06:39 PM

FrenchCreek

Mark,
All of the flies you sent me worked. The problem I had is related to the depth we fish and the lines we use. Most of the flies you sent were heavier than my usual patterns and got into the weeds very fast. The ones with barbell eyes and rabbit strip worked best, the epoxy heads/bucktail type hair went to deep and did not give the "action" that the furry ones do. I mostly fish water that is 3 to 6 feet deep, still water at that and mostly with a dry line and on occasion with a type 3, 10 foot sink tip, just enough sink rate so that when i strip the fly in i get the fly to swim up & down as it moves forward. I don't get out to rivers that hold pike but the flies remain in "inventory" for when I get to a pike river. I may have to do so in your part of the world - Who knows?
As far as the "experimental pike crease patterns" go, they were a total bust! I had many large pike sweep out of their holes, come take a look but none really attacked the fly as I hoped they would. I tried trolling them fast behind the boat and that did not even rate a look see. Tried more weight and up to a 350 gr. depth cahrge type sink tip but it got to the point that the weight prevented any decent cast with a fly rood or went too deep too fast. More weight would work on a baitcaster but then that would no longer be a "fly"! I don't fish when the pike would be in deeper water (July & August & Sept.), maybe the flies would work at depth over 20 feet?
BUT I have a new one, great "attack" characteristics.
I'll put it in another post

10-09-2003 02:45 PM

John Desjardins

I'd give it a 7, mainly due to a lack of time on the water. For fly fishing highlights I'd say figuring out where the carp feed in a pond near my office and almost getting one. OTFF highlights were some great days out with my son, and my 2 1/2 year old asking to go fishing with daddy.

10-09-2003 02:25 PM

Dble Haul

Pete- Have you had a chance to try out any of our pike flies? The curiousity is killing me (and hopefully the pike).

Dewey- Any day with that many big smallies is wonderful. I'm sure you'll remember that for years.

10-09-2003 01:50 PM

dewey

Didn't get out too much, but it was pretty good. I'd say 7.5/8 of ten, but only because I didn't go as much as I'd like. I's say a 9 average for those days I did go.

Highlight - Epic day with 5 smallies in the 3-6lb range all on the fly!

thumbs down - never went out on a trip for Pike only.

10-09-2003 01:30 PM

FrenchCreek

I only do Pike as a WW species, I don't consider Trout to fit in this category.

On a scale of 1-10, spring pike was an 8, had much better years before. The water was at a good level this spring compared to previous years and this may have given them more options. Also, I think the increase in Walleys/Pickerel in the lakes I fish may have displaced the Pike. Lastly, the wter wrmed up faster this year than in prior years but this was followed by a rapid cooling off that lasted about 3 weeks. This may also have put them down.

Ask me about Pike over the next 3 weeks and I'll probably rate the fall fishing as a 9.5 on the same waters. The last 2 weeks have yielded many trophy fish, (15 pounds & above, 3 above 20 ponds), tons of average fish (8 to 15 pounds) and a good crop of up & coming bruisers (4 to 8 pounds).

I decided to put the motor boat away fopr the season, before freezing weather hits, so now it's pike from a pontoon boat. Landing & releasing big critters without a proper craddle and without the help of a buddy is real challenging. Fishing in a smallish bay where there are over 20,000 Ducks and over 12,000 Geese and Swans swimming about is real neat except when your back is turned away and they decide to lift off. It's like a 747 in your backyard.

Trout has been a 9.0, I just had to sneak this in....

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